There’s something distinctly Japanese about sitting down for a slice of strawberry cake. Fresh, perfectly ripe strawberries enveloped in lightly sweetened whipped cream between layers of delicate chiffon cake. A treat to be cherished, savored. While there are hundreds if not thousands of cake bakeries in Tokyo, Harbs is a tried and true local favorite. Established in the 1970s, Harbs now has 38 stores in cities across Japan, and one outpost in New York.
Harbs is more of a tea salon than a bakery. The ambience evokes European tea rooms, and the tea selection is more western than eastern, but the cake and tart selection is distinctly Japanese. From the seasonal fruit cakes to matcha mousse cake to fruit filled mille crepe cake, each one is decadent yet light. They do also have sandwiches and pastas as lunch service, but honestly who says cake can’t be a meal?
the details
| Address | all locations listed here (toggle for different regions) |
| Website | https://www.harbs.co.jp/ https://www.harbsnyc.com/ |
| Hours | varies by location, but most open at around 11am and close at around 8pm |
| Price | $$ – cake slices range from 800-1100¥ ($5-7), full cakes are 8000-12000¥ ($50-75) |
| Aesthetic | elegant in an understated way, with dainty touches of a European tea room |
good to know
Go here for: a cake filled afternoon tea, a cake forward brunch, and honestly cake any other time
Order this: you can’t go wrong with anything featuring seasonal fruit, their menu changes monthly
Amount of time to spend: an hour or two, or you can get some slices to go
When to come: for a lovely afternoon tea, or a delightful lunch
Other things to note:
- Whole cakes may require pre-orders to reserve.
- There is a minimum order of 1 food or drink per person.
Last visited: February 2023
Last updated: February 2024